Filing cabinet shell



Dec. 14, 1937. F. D. JONAS FILING CABINET SHELL Filed Marcfi 31', 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FianKD. J s /+9 -a ATTORNEYS,

Dec. 14, 1937. F. D. JONAS 2,102,272

FILING- CABINETSHELL Filed March 51, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FEE-.3

I'INVENTOR.

Fran/T D. .Jonas I -BY Dec. 14, 1937. F. D. JONAS FILING CABINET SH ELL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 51, 1934 .S R xi 8 D KQN n m.

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Patented Dec. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE FILING CABINET SHELL Frank D. Jonas, East Williston, N. Y., assignor to Oxford Filing Supply Brooklyn, N. Y., a partnership composed of Richard A. Jonas, Richard A. Jonas, Jr., Robert P. Jonas, Frank D. Jonas, and Edward F. Jonas Application March 31, 1934, Serial No. 718,447

2 Claims.

ployed as cases for drawers in which papers and lo the like are filed.

A further object of this invention is to provide an open mouth shell or container having reinforced edges constructed so that the shells may be stacked one on the other and interlocked in vertical alignment.

A still further object is to employ a reinforcing construction such that adjacent stacks of these shells may be interlocked so that they are transversely held against movement and sub stantially interlocked into a unit.

These and many other objects as will appear from the following disclosure are secured by means of this invention.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction, arrangement and relative location of parts all as will be described in greater detail in the following specification in connection with the attached drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a shell blank of one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan and end views of one of the interlocking clips;

Fig. 5 is a detail View of the manner in which these clips are employed to interconnect a pair of stacked shells;

40 Fig. 6 is a view of the bolt and nut by means of which adjacent stacks may be locked together;

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of two stacks of shells showing the manner of interlocking one shell on the other and of interconnecting and locking adjacent stacks;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a casing assembled from the blank of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal-sectional view o taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8.

At the present time there is a growing demand for inexpensive transfer files in which correspondence and the like, which is infrequently referred to, may be stored so as to be readily ac- 55 cessible. This type of file is at present being constructed in many forms of corrugated cardboard, fibre and similar materials. The files consist of individual shells or containers which are open at the front, formed up from single piece blanks of such materials. The present in- 5 vention is directed to several forms of such structures in which provision is made for reinforcing the relatively weak containers. It' is common practice to stack these containers one on the other into columns of as much as six to 10 ten feet high. When the drawers which are used with such stack shells are full, it is apparent that the vertical loads on these relatively, flexible, shells are considerable, especially in view of the fact that they are open at the front. The pur- 15 pose of this invention is to provide a reinforcing structure for the open ends of the shell, which, in addition to reinforcing the open ends, provide vertical columns which carry portions of the load to the floor, and which, at the same time, interlock the stack shells into a more rigid and unitary structure than would be the case if they were simply set one on the other. Further, in accordance with this invention these reinforcing means are constructed so that adjacent stack shells may be interlocked to form them into a structural unit and to strengthen them against transverse strains and hold them against transverse movement. The manner in which these objects are accomplished will now be apparent 0' by detail reference to the drawings.

A suitable shell blank in accordance with this invention is illustrated in Figure 1. The dotted lines in this figure with the exception of the one at the member I2, and the curved dotted line of the member l6, represent the lines of fold which divide the blank into the portions which are the top, bottom, sides and end of the shell. Thus the blank comprises the top portion I, the side portions 2 and 3, the end portions 4, 5, 6, l 40 and 8 and the bottom portion 9 and additional reinforcing side portions l0 and II. The upper end of the portion l is reinforced by some form of inherently rigid member such as a U-shaped strip of metal l2 which fits over the free end edge of the portion I and is secured thereto in any suitable manner, as for example, by rivets as indicated in the figure. Likewise, the free edge of the bottom portion ill is reinforced as for example by means of a gummed fabric tape I3, which likewise is formed over the edge as a channel member. The free end edges of the side portions 2 and 3 are provided with structural reinforcing members which may be of metal, wood, fibre and the like. As illustrated in Figure 1 these reinforcing members comprise a por- 7 .tion M which lies on'the inner surface of the :sides 2 and 3 and extends into as shown in Fig- 10 bers which act as vertical load bearing columns ure 2, a rectangular column formation I5. n

the facesrof the sides 2 and 3 are the washers l6 opposite to the flange portion l4. These reinforcing members are clamped to the edges of the sides by the rivets H as is clear in Figure 2; Thus .the free end edges of the sides 2 and 3 have firmly secured thereto, hollow reinforcing memas will appear later.

The shell is formed lows: The portions l0 and II are foldedup out of the plane of the figure to a position .at right angles to the bottom 9 along the dotted lines.

above theportion 9 and brings the portions 21 and 3 down into parallel and contacting relation with the portions Hi and II' which 'fit inside thereof. -This'gives a rectangular'container open at the front having double thickness side walls.

' The flaps and lieparallel to the portion 8 as indicated in Figure 'izto provide a double thick- 7 ness herein. When the additional strength is 'desired, the flaps 4 and 5 may be sufficiently long to provide the extensions G and 1 which may be folded over parallel thereto to provide double thickness flaps which with the rear end piece 8, provide a triple thickness at'the back of the container; 7 V V I The relative width of the portions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, l0 and II are such as will be apparent to those skilled in the art by allowing for the thickness of the material so that when the shell is 7 completely formed, vertical loads on the shell will be carried by all of theseportions. Thus the width of these portions in the figure represents the'height of the shell when folded and allowing for the thickness of the material the effective height of all of these parts will be the same so that they will all cooperate in absorbing their share of the vertical loads on the shell.

I It is for this reason that theflaps land 6 may f be folded over to give a double thickness thereby adding greater strength to the rear end of the a shell for vertical loads. With the shell thus formed, as will be apparent from Figure 7, an

exceedingly strong container results having 'steel or the like reinforcement on the sides and top of the open edge of the shell and the gummed type reinforcement onthe. lower edge of the open ends The notches .I8 provide. spaces for the bosses l4. The formation of the end of the portion 8, adjacent the portion 9, is merely for the purpose of accommodating the overlapping folds of the material which is relatively thick. This feature will likewise be apparent to those skilled in the'art. As shown in Figure 1, the ends of the flange H are provided with bosses l4 adjacent the reinforcing strip l2 to'in effect increase the transverse extension of these flanges in the direction of their thickness. Thus, when the sides 2 and 3 are folded up at right angles to the portion I, these bosses 14' will engage the reinforcing 'member l2, insuring proper positioning of the from this, blank 7 as 1:61

sides at right angles to the top' and further im-' parting strength to the'shell transversely thereof.

In stacking these shells one on the other, the

clips shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are employedto interconnect the reinforcing columns l5 thereby aligning the shells and interlocking them; These clips consist'of rectangular channel members l8 with a press at their center to form a projecting bo'ss 19. The oppositerends of the channel have U-shaped portions struck out to form spring tongues 20 which are provided with raised bosses 2| on their ends. 'The bosses 49 contact adjacent.

ends of the member l5 to carry the vertical loads directly to the floor.

h As is clearfrom Figures 5 and '7, the columns I5 near each' end are provided withperforations which receive the bosses 2| when the clips are inserted between adjacent ends of the columns l5 of a pair of stacked shells. The manner in which these clips interconnectthe columns is clear, particularly from Figure15. As illustratedi in Figure'i, adjacent columns may be interlocked by means of the bolts and-wing nuts in Figure 6.

The bosses l9 on the clips provide recesses inwhich the wings of the wing nut 23 may seat;

The head of the screw '22, and the, washer there- 'on, rest on the front of these bosses as is clear in Figure 7. When the bolts are screwed up tight, the adjacent columns are locked together:

This reinforces the stacksso as-to prevent side sway whereby the stacks are held in true vertical relation, adapting themto better. stand vertical loads.

From the above description itwill be'apparent" that the principles of this invention may be em-' bodied in numerous physical forms by those skilled in the art without departure from the- I do not, therefore, desire to be scope thereof. strictly limited to the disclosure as given for purposes of illustration, but'rather of the appended claims.

What I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is: a

1.. A combination comprising a plurality of 1 open end filing cabinet shells arranged in at least two columns of adjacent stacks, each shell being made of flexible, fibrous material, and having a reinforcing metal column of hollow section secured to the sides of the open ends thereof, means for interlocking adjacent shells comprising a to the scope metal key lying in the adjacent ends of the columns and having a central peripheral boss to space the columns and means interconnecting the adjacent keys at the bosses of adjacent stacks to lock the stacks together.

' 2. A combination comprising a plurality of open end filing cabinet shells arranged in at least two columns of adjacent stacks, each shell being made of flexible, fibrous material, and having a reinforcing metal column of hollow section secured to the sides of the open ends thereof, means for interlocking adjacent shells comprising-a metal key lying in the adjacent ends of the columns and having a central peripheral boss to space the columns, means interconnecting the adjacent keys at the bosses of adjacent stacks comprising a bolt and wing'nut having the ears of the wing nut in the bosses of adjacent keys to lock the adjacent stacks together. FRANK D. JONAS. 

